Fraud Prevention Week - PHONE CALLS

Fraud Prevention Week - PHONE CALLS

Dear Residents,

It has come to my attention from a number of you guys who I've spoken to today regarding the raise of fraudulent phone calls that are currently affecting residents in our community.

These calls often involve criminals pretending to be from trusted organisations such as banks, the police, utility companies, or government departments. Callers may claim there is an urgent issue with your account, suspicious activity, or that money is at risk. Their aim is to pressure people into sharing personal or financial information or transferring money.

To help protect yourself and others:

Be cautious of unexpected phone calls, especially those creating a sense of urgency

Do not share personal details, PINs, passwords, or one-time passcodes over the phone

Your bank or the police will never ask you to move money or provide full security details

If in doubt, hang up and wait a few minutes before contacting the organisation directly using a trusted number

If you receive a suspicious call:

End the call immediately

Report the incident to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk

If you believe someone is being targeted or a crime is in progress, please call 999

We will continue to share advice and engage with residents to help reduce the impact of fraud within our community. If you do spot me or my colleagues around Richmond please feel free to stop us and have a chat with us even if you want to vent out any frustrations. We are here to listen to you all.

By staying alert and sharing this information with friends, family, and neighbours, we can work together to prevent fraud phone calls from causing harm.

Kind regards,

PCSO KIRAT SIDHU

Richmond Safer Neighbourhood Team

Metropolitan Police Service

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Message Sent By
Kirat Sidhu
(Metropolitan Police, PCSO, south west)